Joaquin Phoenix is on a rampage in You Were Never Really Here trailer

Joaquin Phoenix recently made headlines for playing Jesus in the upcoming Mary Magdalene. His character in You Were Never Really Here is a decidedly different guy.

Amazon Studios released a trailer for the new flick, and it features Phoenix at his most ferocious. Based on a novel by Jonathan Ames, it centers on Joe (Phoenix), a war veteran with PTSD who makes a living as a hitman who takes down targets with a ball peen hammer. But he may have gotten in too deep when he accepts a job to save the daughter of a state senator from an upscale brothel. Along with battling ruthless enemies in the middle of a conspiracy, Joe must face the demons inside his own head.

Directed by Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin), the film is being hailed as a "21st century Taxi Driver," and it also has quite a few similarities to Marvel's The Punisher. It earned a seven-minute standing ovation when it played at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

The cast also includes Ekaterina Samsonov, Alessandro Nivola, Alex Manette, John Doman, and Judith Roberts.